Like a Lion
by ifonlynotnever
Summary: ONE SHOT. Drabbleish. A little TezuRyo. Tezuka, Ryoma thinks, is a little like a lion.


**Disclaimer**: I own no part of _Tenisu no Oujisama _(Prince of Tennis). This fanfiction was written solely for entertainment purposes.  
**Rating**: T. For safety purposes.  
**Warnings**: Intended shounen-ai. If I succeeded, then I succeeded. If I didn't, then I didn't. Ryoma and Tezuka pairing. Short. Possible overuse of the word "buchou". Wild, wild grammar, though that has a purpose.  
**Dedication**: For Alina, the newest (coughfirst) initiate into my little TeniPuri coven. Muahaha.

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_Like a Lion_

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Buchou, Ryoma thinks at practice one day, is a little like a lion. It's hard to say, though, what makes the freshman think of him like that--hard to say what part of Tezuka is actually leonine.

Maybe it's the hair. How it's wild, like a mane, except not, because Tezuka-buchou isn't the type to be negligent enough to grow it out all the way. So, okay, no, it's not really the hair. Is it? Ryoma doesn't know.

So maybe it's the eyes. Gold-brown eyes that don't seem to show much emotion towards things that are unnecessary and even things that _are_ necessary, like math class. But when they alight upon something that's special (anything that's tennis, Ryoma supposes)—or something that he wants—that he wants to incorporate into his grand plans for the future—that he has to take care of—that he _cares about_ (and Ryoma isn't vain enough to think that this includes him, even though…)—then his eyes blaze. They become spectacularly beautiful in the way that looking into a lion's huge brown eyes would be beautiful. Awe-inspiring.

But maybe it's Buchou's movements. Strong and steady with the rippling of various muscles and the way that the skin slides across them—exactly the way, in theory, that everyone else moves. Except that it's different. There's confidence and readiness in the way that he moves. The way that he doesn't have to try to exert power, or try to walk with an affected air that would never fool those who are close to him. Strong like a lion—strong without trying, without meaning it, because it's in his nature.

(Or at least that's how Echizen _thinks_ a lion moves, because he's only seen the ones in the zoo and in _The Lion King_ and on the Discovery Channel or something like that…)

Except that maybe it's just his aura. The power, the confidence, the _air_ that rolls off of him. And that air makes him seem just a little unapproachable—just a little aloof, just a little otherworldly, just a little majestic. It's the reason that he doesn't have to roar to make people listen—but if he does, the then they _listen_. They don't question. He is the leader. The captain. The king of the Seigaku pride.

(Which is lame-sounding, even in Echizen's head, but as long as he doesn't say it out loud, to buchou's face, then it's okay. Not that Buchou would laugh at him or anything, because Buchou doesn't laugh, but…)

But maybe it's something else. His dedication to the tennis club is the same dedication to a lion to his pride. Leadership, of course. (Ryoma doesn't have all that many leadership qualities, only pillar-qualities—and only Buchou really knows what _those_ are—so he particularly respects that aspect of Tezuka's character.) Or maybe it's his firmness, his resolve, his laconic manner of speech, or even—even—

Oh, Ryoma doesn't know. Buchou is his buchou, and whatever animal he is like—it doesn't matter.

(Doesn't matter, Ryoma thinks, as his eyes slide over Tezuka-buchou's figure again, because Ryoma will always follow Tezuka's orders, even if the reasons for that are kind of jumbled in Ryoma's head.)

So Echizen turns away from Tezuka's practice and returns to what he is _supposed_ to be doing and feigns his disinterest quite well.

It really wouldn't do if he got caught admiring—no, _observing_—Tezuka again.

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._notes_.

I don't know why this struck me. I was just on the train and it wouldn't leave me alone. :_shrug_:

Ack…

I wanted my 50th post to be something _Prince of Tennis_ and TezuRyo. Yaaay!

Reviews are adored. _Reviewers_ are adored.

_--raspberry_


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